Sunday’s Best Bet: Zona Verde can quicken late in China Doll
Sunday’s seventh race at Santa Anita is the $100,000 China Doll Stakes for 3-year-old fillies traveling one mile on the turf course. The scheduled post time is 7:11 p.m. EDT.
Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.
No. 6 Zona Verde (5-2) ran on for the place in the Sweet Life Stakes last time, and she could have won that event with a better trip. She captured the Jimmy Durante at one mile under Sunday’s rider Juan Hernández.
No. 5 Medoro (2-1) won both starts last year. She overcame early trouble to win her turf sprint bow, and she stretched and got up by a neck as the favorite in the Blue Norther her second time out. Peter Eurton shows a profit with this type of layoff runner, and she can win again under Antonio Fresu.
No. 2 Mo Fox Givin (4-1) hit the board in a pair of turf-route stakes races last year. She dropped into an optional-claiming event and rolled home from off the pace in a slow-early, fast-late affair Jan. 20. Flavien Prat stays put, and she can make some noise in the lane.
No. 4 Antifona (5-2) turned back and was strong from off the pace in the Sweet Life on Feb. 11. She stretches back out and is a logical contender if she is able to run two alike.
Get Jarrod’s Santa Anita analysis.
Wagers
No. 6 to win
Exacta box 5-6
Trifecta 5-6/2-4-5-6/2-4-5-6
Recent Best Bet winners
Feb. 18 – Big Pond ($4.00), trifecta ($34.40)
Feb. 19 – Miracle Worker ($6.80)
Feb. 24 – Octane/Magic Tap exacta ($40.20)
March 1 – Princess of me ($5.80), exacta ($11.80)
Last Sunday – Du Jour/Easter exacta ($28.20)
Wednesday – Spikezone/Just Beat the Odds exacta ($7.80), trifecta ($22.40)
Thursday – Insensitive ($5.00)
Saturday – Sweet Azteca/Adare Manor/Green Up trifecta ($94.60)